The Baltic Sea Regional project was initiated by the World Bank under the auspice of HELCOM PITF ( PITF = Project Implementation Task Force; HELCOM = The Helsinki Commission protects the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution through intergovernmental co-operation between Denmark, Estonia, the European Community, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Sweden). HELCOM is the governing body of the "Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area" - more usually known as the Helsinki Convention already in 1996. As part of an international effort to combat the environmental degradation of the Baltic Sea, the World Bank, acting on behalf of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), provided a grant of $5.5 million for the Baltic Sea Regional Project. Contributions from other co-financiers and project beneficiaries including Finland, Norway, Sweden, the United States and the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO) bring the total available resources to more than $12 million. Actions within the project take place in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Russia.
The goal of the Baltic Sea Regional Project is to:
- introduce ecosystem-based assessments to strengthen the management of Baltic Sea coastal and marine environments through regional cooperation
- reduce the pollution from non-point sources (farms, agricultural activities etc.)
- increase sustainable agriculture and fisheries.
The BSRP has four inter-related components:
1. Large Marine Ecosystem Activities( C1 )
- introduces ecosystem-based assessments and management for the Baltic Sea
- coordinates and integrates the regional monitoring and assessment capacity
- improves management practices to increase and sustain fishery yields and biological productivity of the Baltic Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (LME)
- in the long-term, improves both the marine ecosystem and the economic benefits and standard of living of the fishing and coastal communities
2. Land and Coastal Management Activities (C2 )
- increases awareness of environmental issues related to agriculture among farmers and communities
- invests in and implements environmentally responsible farm management practice
- in the long-term, improves the economic welfare and standard of living within the farming community while reducing agricultural pollution
3. Institutional Strengthening and Regional Capacity Building (C3)
Component 3 supports local and regional capacity building and institutional strengthening through integrated land, coastal and marine activities. The Baltic Sea Steering Group (BSSG ) acts as a coordinating body consisting of national delegates and representatives of cooperating institutions.
4. Project Management (C4)
The Baltic Sea Regional project is administered and managed by HELCOM and the Project Implementation Team in cooperation with the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences(SLU), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO) and the International Baltic Sea Fisheries Commission (IBSFC).
